


Roulettte

by lcblip



Series: Prompts [10]
Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Aster is a gentleman, Budding Relationship, Cute, First Meeting, Good advice for walking alone at night, Jack was scared, M/M, Promp story, Stalking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-11-29
Packaged: 2018-05-03 21:39:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5307779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lcblip/pseuds/lcblip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack's late class forces him to walk home late. He feels like he's being followed to so dials a random number.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Roulettte

Roulette

Jack shivered as the cold air hits him; a total opposite from the warmth of his college classroom. British Lit was a long class for him. A really long class. Unfortunately the only class with an opening, for Jack’s late scheduling ass, was once weekly at seven p.m. He cupped his hands and breathed out, warming his fingers with his breath as he briskly walked down the Liberal Art’s building’s stairs. 

“Jeez it’s cold.” He hisses, as he glanced at his wrist; the glowing green light indicating the time was ten past nine. His hoodie is tightly wrapped around him as he adjusts his shoulder bag. The walk back to his shared apartments was a good half hour, thanks to his crappy roommate. Hiccup had texted him about halfway through the class, saying that Astrid was coming over. Well... at least the brunette had the decency to keep the sex confined in his own room so the apartment wouldn’t suffer. 

Jack shifted his eyes across the dark street, feeling paranoid about the shifting shadows that danced at the edge of the dim street light. What had Tooth told him? His only female roommate had just been to some kind of safety seminar earlier in the month. She’d said that if, at any time, you felt unsafe walking somewhere at night… to call someone? Right? That being on the phone would deter any would-be attacker from coming up to you. He pulled out his phone as he quickened his pace, and swiped to his phonebook. 

Hiccup was out, as he was busy. And Tooth was out of town visiting her family, and little sisters. Sandy, his third and final roommate, was mute- so that would be kind of silly; and his grandfather, a genial white headed man he called North was probably asleep by now. 

Sighing, Jack punched in a random number. The area code was local, but the last seven digits were a random mash up of numbers. A sharp snap demanded his attention as he walked, pressing the phone to his ear, and silently begging for anyone to answer on the other end of the call. 

Four rings later light shuffling answered him and a heartbeat later a grumpy male voice. “ ‘llo?”

“Hi, please don’t hang up!” Jack whispered, blue eyes fearful and wide as he glanced behind him. 

“Who is this? How’d ya get this number?” The accented voice was drenched in suspicion, and sounded quite annoyed.

Jack took a breath and darted across an intersection. “My name’s Jack. Look, I know this is weird, but I had a late class, and a friend told me about calling someone if you had to walk home at night. I just dialed a random number.” He hoped this guy would stay on the line, he even tried to sound like a young, scared kid to play up the sympathy; as he walked he held his breath.

“How old are ya, Jackie?” He asked. Jack let out his breath in victory as he practically heard the man’s moral code sit up and take notice of his distress.

“I’m eighteen. I just started my first semester here, I live out of state.” He answered.

“Alrigh’. So, why are ya out so late?”

“I have a late class, and my roommate’s… preoccupied right now.” Jack blushed at the deep, throaty laughter that flowed through the speaker; God this guy sounds hot, he thought.

“Has a sheila over, yeah?” The man chuckled as Jack shot a look over his shoulder again, nervousness settled in his stomach as he noticed a figure a block behind him.

“What’s your name? Since you haven’t hung up on me yet.”

“I’m Aster.” Jack heard some shuffling from the other’s line, then two thumps. “How much longer til’ your home, Jackie?”

“Uhm…” Jack started but looked behind him again. The figure was closer, and was taking longer strides than he was. The unease he had been feeling grew to very real fear and that feeling must have bled into his voice, because Aster became insistant.

“Where are ya, Jack? Everythin’ okay?” 

He looked to the left and noticed a two-story bakery he and Hiccup passed every day on the way to class. “I’m across the street from Baker Bunnies; Aster, I think someone’s following me. There’s somebody behind me.” He said in a rushed, hushed tone. He didn’t want to get kidnapped; he’d just gotten out on his own! And he didn’t want to get raped, regardless of his sexual orientation. Jack listened intently as even more rustling and thumping was heard from the other end of the phone line, then silence.

“Aster?” Jack asked. “C’mon, this isn’t funny.” 

Suddenly, a light was cast across the street, and a jingling bell cut across the dark street. He looked over at the now brightly lit bakery. A man stood in the open door, frantically looking back and forth, up and down the street, phone pressed to his ear.

“Jackie!” He yelled, and Jack felt his tension abate. He jogged across the street, trying to think of a way to not embarrass himself. Aster was just as attractive as his voice portrayed, and here he was, running up to this attractive, albeit older, man like a lost puppy. 

Aster met him on the sidewalk, holding the door open and ushering him inside. Jack watched his savior take a half step away from the open shop door, eyes squinting into the darkness; no doubt trying to see his assailant. With no luck, he closes the door and leads Jack upstairs to an open loft. 

“Have a seat, mate. I’ll make us some tea.” Aster told him, gesturing to a small, three seat, round table. 

Jack slumped into the chair, backpack dropping from his shoulder to land heavily on the floor. He glanced around the room and noticed that the man’s bed was out in the open. He aslo noticed that there were only two doors: one, he came through, and the other he guessed lead to the bathroom. The man’s, Aster, he reminded himself, bed was disheveled. And no wonder, Jack thought, I probably woke him up.

Lost in thought, he was startled when Aster placed a steaming mug in front of him. The heat of the porcelain warmed his hands as Jack brought the cup to his nose and deeply inhaled. 

“Thanks, Aster.” 

“No problem, mate.” Aster said, taking a seat across from him, placing his own steaming mug onto the table. “Now, how far is yer place from here? After ya finish yer tea I’ll take ya home.”

Jack nodded, quickly taking a long, scalding gulp from his cup, reveling in the burn that raced down his throat. “I’m just three blocks up and two over.” He informs the older man with a small smile. “Look, I really appreciate you helping me out like this… So, thanks, Aster. You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”

Aster just smiled over his shoulder as he placed a kettle on his stove and Jack cursed himself for focusing on his savior’s broad, tan shoulders. He waited patiently for the bakery owner to finish the tea, trading small talk as they did. The tea was hot and steaming when Aster placed his mug down, as well as a jar of honey incase the tea was too bitter, to which Jack was thankful. Aster made him laugh, easing the tensions of being followed at night at ease, and Jack made light hearted jabs about the accent the older man had. Each man would glance at the other when he thought no one was looking, each taking in the other’s features: Bright blue eyes, and soft skin, as well as hopeful green gazes and slight buckteeth. 

Jack felt giddy as Aster ushered him into his old jeep and drove him home, the older man going to so far as to was him to his door.

“Here ya go, mate. Safe and sound.” Aster grinned, twirling his keys around his finger.

Jack chuckled and fiddled with the lock, distracted by the growing anxiousness of wanting to see his rescuer again. “Um.. Would you like to go get coffee sometime? So I can thank you for helping me out?” He asked with downcast eyes under the ruse of digging for his keys.

Aster just smiles, flattered by the offer. “I’d like that, Jackie.”

 

End.


End file.
